Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John George Luke, one of 8 known children, was the 3rd born of 5 brothers and had 1 elder and 2 younger sisters. His father Irvine Luke native of Ferryhill, County Durham, born 1846, married in 1871 to Mary Hodgson who originated from Barnsley, Yorkshire, where she was born in 1850. Having migrated to the north east at the age of 20 years Mary was employed as a servant by the Toulson family, 26-year-old Edward Toulson was the licensed victualler of the Commercial Inn, Commercial Street, Coxhoe, County Durham.
Newly married Irvine and Mary settled at Coxhoe where their son Robert was born in 1872, by 1878 they had moved to the district of Ferryhill, daughter Catherine Ann and Irvine Jnr were born there in 1878 and 1881 respectively. In 1881 they were living at West Row, Chilton, Irvine supported his family employed as a coal miner. After the birth of John George and William in 1883 and 1887, between 1887 and 1890 they transferred to West Row, Castle Eden Colliery where Mary was born in 1890. Irvine and son Robert (19) were employed at the colliery as stone men.
Irvine Luke died during the 1st quarter 1908 aged 62 years, his daughter Catherine Ann who had married James Cook in 1905 and with whom she had a daughter Mary Elizabeth, died in 1909 aged 31 years. James Cook (57), a deputy overman at Bearpark Colliery took into his care at 29, Aldin Grange Terrace, Bearpark, his mother-in-law Mary as a housekeeper and brother-in-law James (18), he already cared not only for his daughter but his step daughter Francis Luke (13) and his brother Alfred Cook (19). Alfred worked as a putter, James Luke as a labourer at the coke yard.
John George Luke had married just prior to the death of his sister in 1909 to Margaret Ellen Walton born 1887 at Edmondsley, County Durham. Their son James Irvine was born in 1910, in 1911 they were living at 134, Chadwick Street, Cornsay Colliery, County Durham, where John George was employed as a coal hewer. Mary gave birth to John George Jnr in 1910 and Edith born 1911 who tragically died within 3 months.
He was one of the first to enlist at Cornsay in November 1914 and was assigned as Private 937 to the newly formed 23rd (4th Tyneside Scottish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, raised at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, November 26th 1914. He joined his regiment at their barracks at Newcastle where their initial training took place before being transferred to Alnwick camp at Alnwick castle in May 1915. They joined the 102nd Brigade, 34th Division at Ripon, Yorkshire in mid-1915 before transferring to Salisbury Plain in August for final training. As part of the British Expeditionary Force the regiment departed to France in January 1916 and concentrated at La Crosse, near St. Omer. At the time of his departure his wife was pregnant, Robert Luke was born July-September 1916.
During his military career he was transferred from the 23rd (4th Tyneside Scottish) Battalion to the 24th (1st Tyneside Irish) Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, however, both battalions participated during the same period in the same sectors.
After a period of trench familiarisation Private Luke’s first experience of battle was in France during the Battles of the Somme commencing July 1st until November 1916 before being transferred to the Arras sector in 1917.
Lance Corporal 23/936 John George Luke while serving with the 24th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers was wounded in the field and whilst being transferred back through the lines by the 104th Field Ambulance, attached to the 34th Division, succumbed to his wounds, April 2nd 1917 and interred at Sainte Catherine British Cemetery, Sainte Catherine near Arras, Pas de Calais, France, grave A. 17. He was 34 years of age.
His widow Margaret Ellen received all monies due to him, a pension for herself and their children and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 85, Liddle Street, Cornsay, County Durham.
She remarried in the district of Lanchester in 1923 to Ralph Wilson, details of the demise of Margaret Ellen Wilson-Luke nee Walton unknown.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John George Luke is remembered at Cornsay on C116.01 and at Quebec on Q2.06
